In this week's address, the President spoke about the steps we need to take to modernize our unemployment insurance system.
Saturday, January 16, 2016
Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration
Attorney General Loretta Lynch gave the keynote speech at a Department
of Justice event honoring the life and legacy of the Reverend Martin
Luther King, Jr.
Click here for video.
Source: C-Span
Oval Office Chat: President Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexico
On January 15, The President spoke by phone with President of Mexico Enrique
Peña Nieto to
congratulate him on the arrest of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman and to
review broader security and economic issues. The leaders agreed that
two of the most important
pillars in the strong and enduring United States – Mexico relationship
are a cooperative and supportive security dynamic as well as deep and
robust economic bonds. They agreed on the importance of taking steps to
advance the approval of the Trans-Pacific
Partnership. President Obama and President Peña Nieto both reaffirmed the importance of all aspects of the bilateral relationship.
Source: The White House, Office of the Press Secretary
Biden Attends the Inauguration of Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales
The
Vice President led the United States Presidential Delegation to the
Inauguration of President Jimmy Morales of Guatemala on January 14th.
The Vice President was accompanied
by a senior U.S. delegation that included Secretary of Homeland
Security Jeh Johnson, Senator Tom Carper of Delaware, Representative
Norma Torres of California, Counselor of the State Department Thomas
Shannon, National Security Council Senior Director Mark
Feierstein, and United States Ambassador to Guatemala Todd Robinson.
During
the trip, the Vice President held a bilateral meeting with President
Jimmy Morales and members of his future cabinet. He also held a
multilateral meeting with President
Morales, President Salvador Sanchez-Ceren of El Salvador and President
Juan Orlando Hernandez of Honduras.
The
Vice President attended the formal inauguration ceremony for President
Morales at the Miguel Angel Asturias Cultural Center in Guatemala City,
where he engaged in a
bilateral exchange with President Luis Guillermo Solis of Costa Rica.
The Vice President also had the opportunity to meet with President
Rafael Correa of Ecuador, Prime Minister Dean Barrow of Belize, Vice
President Salvador Valdes of Cuba and the former
King of Spain Juan Carlos.
The
Vice President’s presence at the Guatemalan inauguration marked an
important milestone in strengthening the bilateral relationship and
overall ties with Central America.
The Vice President was the most senior United States official to attend
a presidential inauguration in Guatemala since 1986.
Source: The White House, Office of the Vice President
National Security Council Notes: Meeting on Counter-ISIL
On January 15, President
Obama convened his National Security Council to discuss the
intensification of our campaign to degrade and destroy ISIL. The
President was briefed on recent progress by Iraqi
security forces in taking back Ramadi, and on ways we and our partners
in the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL continue to accelerate and
integrate the military campaign on all possible fronts in Iraq and
Syria.
The
President directed his national security team to continue to intensify
ongoing efforts to degrade and destroy ISIL, including by working with
our partners to increase our military cooperation,
disrupting foreign fighter networks, halting ISIL expansion outside of
Syria and Iraq, countering ISIL financing, disrupting any ISIL external
plotting efforts, and countering ISIL's propaganda and messaging. The
President emphasized that degrading and destroying
ISIL will continue to require coordination and cooperation among a wide
range of global partners, and the United States is strongly committed
to continuing to lead the shared efforts of the Global Coalition to
Counter ISIL.
Source: The White House, Office of the Press Secretary
Friday, January 15, 2016
FPWA Hosts Second Annual Faith & Justice Fellowship Clergy Breakfast
FPWA CEO Jennifer Jones Austin moderates panel featuring Rev. Michael
Walron, Rev. Chloe Breyer and Rev. Dr. Herbert Daniel Daughtry Sr.
(New York, NY) Yesterday, the Federation of
Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA) held its second annual Faith &
Justice Clergy Breakfast at
the historic Riverside Church in Harlem. The breakfast
brought together participants of the FPWA Faith & Justice Fellowship
Program with more than 100 faith-based leaders from across the city to
discuss the role of prophetic witness and what faith
and justice looks like in the faith community.
The Faith & Justice Fellowship Program,
launched last year in collaboration with the New York Theological
Seminary (NYTS), aims to provides its participants with enhanced skills
that will enable them to be more effective advocates on behalf
of those most in need, and to help promote NYC as a place of equal
opportunity for all.
The fellowship program trains faith leaders to
become prophetic witnesses for fair social policies and equal justice.
Fellows participate in a series of theologically based courses, seminars
related to understanding civic engagement from
a theological and biblical perspective, and group retreats centering on
personal formation and reflection.
Speakers at this morning’s breakfast included Rev. Dr. Herbert Daniel Daughtry, Sr., Rev. Michael Walrond and Rev. Chloe Breyer.
Rev. Dr. Herbert Daniel Daughtry Sr. and FPWA CEO Jennifer Jones Austin together at the breakfast.
"I’m honored to be the
first recipient of the Faith & Justice Torchbearer Award from FPWA
and Ms. Jennifer Jones Austin,” said
Rev. Dr. Herbert Daniel Daughtry. “I consider Ms. Jones Austin’s
father to be an essential pillar in the faith and social justice
movement, and I am proud to have served the community for 58 years."
“Faith-based leaders have historically been at the
center of responding to human needs, both through direct service and by
raising their voices to challenge policies and change conditions,” said
Jennifer Jones Austin, CEO and Executive Director of FPWA. “The
Faith & Justice Program recognizes that and supports the need to
bring informed and focused voices of members of the faith community to
major social service issues at the city, state and
federal levels.”
Ten Fellows are part of the 2015-2016 cohort and they include:
Rev. Kim Anderson, Pastor, Metropolitan AME Church; Rev. Yolanda
Brown, Senior Pastor, Imani’s Quest Ministries; Rev. Phillip Craig,
Senior Pastor, Greater Springfield Community Church; Rev. Hector
Custodio, Pastor/CEO, Never Forsaken Re-entry Ministries;
Rev. Andrea Hargett, Pastor, St. Matthew’s Community AME Church of
Hollis; Rev. Lisa Jenkins, Senior Pastor, St. Matthew’s Baptist Church
of Harlem; Rev. Mark Kellar, Pastor, First Reformed Church of Jamaica;
Rev. Chris Lawrence, Pastor, Church of the Living
Hope; Ms. Nilza Oyola, Chief Operations Officer, Latino Pastoral Action
Center; Rev. Nigel Pearce, Senior Pastor, Grace Congregational Church
of Harlem.
Source: The Federation of
Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA)
9/11 Widower Invites Ted Cruz to Ground Zero to See ‘New York Values’
By Michael Daly
So the Texas senator thinks the
city’s values are somehow different from those of the rest of America?
He should take himself to the city’s 9/11 Memorial for enlightenment.
From the husband of an NYPD police officer who died on 9/11 comes an invitation to Sen. Ted Cruz.
“Senator
Cruz, I was disappointed by your disparaging remarks about New York
values somehow being different from Iowa and New Hampshire values,” read
a Facebook post by retired NYPD Police Officer Jim Smith, husband of
fallen Police Officer Moira Smith. “I invite you to come to the National
9-11 Memorial and Museum and see for yourself, and perhaps learn
something about, the values of New Yorkers and the Heroes who defended
American values on September 11th, 2001.”
Click here for the full article.
Source: The Daily Beast
Charter, Multicultural Leadership Organizations Reach Agreement on Diversity and Inclusion Efforts
STAMFORD, Conn., Jan. 15, 2015
-- Charter Communications and leaders of leading national civic
organizations serving communities of color announced a memorandum of
understanding (MOU) that will take effect upon the closing of Charter’s
pending merger with Time Warner Cable and acquisition of Bright House
Networks. New Charter is committed to continuing
the diversity and inclusion practices developed by the three companies
and will build upon existing diversity efforts in the specific areas of
corporate governance, employment and workforce recruitment, procurement,
programming, and philanthropy and community
investment.
“We
are very pleased to have reached this important memorandum of
understanding, which reflects our commitment to the fundamental values
of diversity and inclusion,” said
Tom Rutledge, president and chief executive officer of Charter.
“Charter strives to reflect the great diversity of the communities we
serve in all our business practices as a key component of our continued
success.”
The
MOU identifies specific diversity initiatives and establishes a plan of
action to guide the collaborative efforts of New Charter and a wide
array of diverse civic and
leadership organizations. As part of the MOU, Charter has committed to
a number of concrete actions, including appointing one African
American, one Asian American/Pacific Islander and one Latino American to
its newly formed board of directors within two years
of the close of the transaction. New Charter will also appoint a Chief
Diversity Officer who will lead the company’s diversity and inclusion
efforts. The MOU also includes a number of specific steps New Charter
will take to increase diversity among its workforce,
improve diversity in the procurement of goods and services, expand
programming targeting diverse audiences, and enhance its involvement and
investment in organizations serving communities of color.
The
following twelve multicultural leadership organizations have agreed to
sign the MOU: National Urban League, National Action Network, National
Council of La Raza, League
of United Latin American Citizens, National Hispanic Foundation for the
Arts, SER-National, Hispanic Federation, Asian Americans Advancing
Justice I AAJC, OCA—Asian Pacific American Advocates, Media Action
Network for Asian Americans, East West Players, and
the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies.
Support for Charter's Memorandum of Understanding:
National Urban League President and CEO Marc Morial,
who led the multicultural organizations that
worked with Charter to fashion the MOU, made the following statement:
“The Charter MOU contains the ‘best of the best’ practices for diversity
and inclusion. Substantively it addresses every one of the key
elements of equal service to all communities: governance,
employment, procurement, programming, and community engagement. Since
the effectuation of the MOU is contingent upon the closing of Charter’s
acquisition of Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks, we encourage
the Federal Communications Commission to
afford the proposed transactions expedited consideration.”
Rev. Al Sharpton, President of National Action Network
provided the following statement regarding the MOU. “This agreement
is another marker of progress that brings with it special resonance on
Dr. King’s birthday – together we are continuing to move closer to
achieving his dream of equality in America. The MOU is strengthened by
these diverse groups coming together with Charter
to affirm their commitment to a future of greater inclusion and
diversity. Far beyond just superficial statements, Charter is making
concrete assurances to enhance multicultural leadership in corporate
governance, their workforce, procurement, programming
and community investment. The enactment of the agreement is contingent
upon approval of Charter’s merger with Time Warner Cable and Bright
House – and for that reason we urge regulators to expedite this
process.”
League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) National President Roger Rocha
provided
support from the Latino community. “We thank Charter for committing to
improve diversity and inclusion throughout the company and for its
willingness to enhance its services and support
of the Latino community. LULAC strongly advocates for companies to do
the right thing in the diversity space especially when it comes to the
area of telecommunications. This industry is critical to our community’s
educational and professional success in particular
because of the opportunities that come with affordable high speed
access to the internet. What has been committed to in the MOU is a
significant step for the company and we look forward to working with
Charter as they implement its provisions.”
Janet Murguia, President and CEO of the National Council of La Raza,
said
“We believe that the MOU outlines a commitment to working with the
Latino community to provide much-needed high speed and affordable
internet access, enhanced support for Latino-themed programming
in English, and expanding career and employment opportunities. We
welcome the chance to work with Charter on this nascent effort to become
a leader in the area of diversity inclusion and engagement.”
“Asian Americans are expected to grow to more than 10 percent of the U.S. population by 2060,” said
Mee Moua, president and executive director of Advancing Justice | AAJC.
“Despite our unprecedented growth, we continue to be excluded from
diversity and inclusion strategies. In the media and entertainment
industry, our invisibility is perpetuated by
the limited acting roles for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and
the portrayals of our communities that are based on stereotypes and
misperceptions. Through this MOU endeavor, New Charter is exercising a
leadership opportunity to influence content creation
and prioritize programming distribution that accurately reflects the
changing face of America, particularly in markets in which there are
highly-concentrated AAPI populations, such as Hawaii, New York and
Southern California.”
Jose Calderon, President of the Hispanic Federation, said "The Hispanic Federation exists to advance the interests
and aspirations of the Hispanic community, especially in the areas of education and economic empowerment.
We are committed to working with Charter to
ensure that the MOU serves and benefits our students and families
through a significant expansion of their low-cost broadband programs,
the job training and recruitment of Latinos across
their urban markets, and meaningful, systemic and long-term
philanthropic investments in our communities."
Source: Charter Communications
Appellate Division Upholds New York State Division of Human Rights Marriage Discrimination Ruling
Governor Andrew Cuomo today praised the
decision by the Appellate Division of the New York State Court of
Appeals in Gifford, et. al., v. McCarthy, et. al. The Court affirmed an
earlier determination by the State Human Rights Division that the owners
of Liberty Ridge Farm had illegally discriminated against Melissa and
Jennifer McCarthy in refusing to rent their venue to the couple for
their wedding.
“We do not tolerate discrimination in New York State – it’s not who we are, and it doesn’t reflect our values,” said Governor Cuomo. “We believe that all people, no matter whom they love, must be treated equally under the law. This ruling says loud and clear that same-sex couples cannot be discriminated against on the basis of their sexual orientation, and I applaud the Court for continuing to place New York State on the right side of history.”
The McCarthys, like numerous couples before them, wanted to rent Liberty Ridge Farm for their wedding. When one of the owners refused to rent to them, stating “we do not hold same-sex marriages here at the farm,” the couple filed complaints with the New York State Division of Human Rights, which promptly investigated the matter. Following a public hearing, the Commissioner of Human Rights found that Liberty Ridge Farm, LLC, and its owners discriminated against the McCarthys on the basis of their sexual orientation in violation of the Human Rights Law.
Yesterday the Appellate Division, Third Department, confirmed the Division’s determination in its entirety, holding that “Liberty Ridge’s wedding facilities fall comfortably within the broad definition of ‘place of public accommodation” and Liberty Ridge and its owners “discriminated on the basis of sexual orientation when they refused to host the McCarthys wedding on the premises.” The Court noted that the owners “purported willingness to offer some services to the McCarthys does not cure their refusal to provide a service that was offered to the general public.”
The Court dismissed the argument that Liberty Ridge LLC and its owners were entitled to constitutional exemption from the law because of their religious beliefs about marriage. The Human Rights Law contains exemptions for religious organizations; however, the Court noted that the record did not show that the farm was operated for a purpose other than “making a profit through service contracts with customers.”
New York, the Court explained, has an “extremely strong statutory policy of eliminating discrimination.” (Citations and internal quotations omitted.). The Court noted that the determination by New York’s Division of Human Rights “does not require them to participate in the marriage of a same-sex couple. Indeed, the Giffords are free to adhere to and profess their religious beliefs that same-sex couples should not marry, but they must permit same-sex couples to marry on the premises if they choose to allow opposite-sex couples to do so.”
Source: Press Office, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
“We do not tolerate discrimination in New York State – it’s not who we are, and it doesn’t reflect our values,” said Governor Cuomo. “We believe that all people, no matter whom they love, must be treated equally under the law. This ruling says loud and clear that same-sex couples cannot be discriminated against on the basis of their sexual orientation, and I applaud the Court for continuing to place New York State on the right side of history.”
The McCarthys, like numerous couples before them, wanted to rent Liberty Ridge Farm for their wedding. When one of the owners refused to rent to them, stating “we do not hold same-sex marriages here at the farm,” the couple filed complaints with the New York State Division of Human Rights, which promptly investigated the matter. Following a public hearing, the Commissioner of Human Rights found that Liberty Ridge Farm, LLC, and its owners discriminated against the McCarthys on the basis of their sexual orientation in violation of the Human Rights Law.
Yesterday the Appellate Division, Third Department, confirmed the Division’s determination in its entirety, holding that “Liberty Ridge’s wedding facilities fall comfortably within the broad definition of ‘place of public accommodation” and Liberty Ridge and its owners “discriminated on the basis of sexual orientation when they refused to host the McCarthys wedding on the premises.” The Court noted that the owners “purported willingness to offer some services to the McCarthys does not cure their refusal to provide a service that was offered to the general public.”
The Court dismissed the argument that Liberty Ridge LLC and its owners were entitled to constitutional exemption from the law because of their religious beliefs about marriage. The Human Rights Law contains exemptions for religious organizations; however, the Court noted that the record did not show that the farm was operated for a purpose other than “making a profit through service contracts with customers.”
New York, the Court explained, has an “extremely strong statutory policy of eliminating discrimination.” (Citations and internal quotations omitted.). The Court noted that the determination by New York’s Division of Human Rights “does not require them to participate in the marriage of a same-sex couple. Indeed, the Giffords are free to adhere to and profess their religious beliefs that same-sex couples should not marry, but they must permit same-sex couples to marry on the premises if they choose to allow opposite-sex couples to do so.”
Source: Press Office, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
White House Briefing
Spokesman Josh Earnest briefs reporters and responds to their
questions on a variety of topics, including Thursday’s Republican
presidential debate, Iran nuclear deal implementation, and water
contamination in Michigan.
Click here for video.
Source: C-Span
House Republican Leadership News Conference
House Speaker Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) held a press conference
following the House/Senate Ideas Conference in Baltimore, MD. Speaker
Ryan outlined a new pro-growth agenda that focuses on national security,
job & economic growth, health care, poverty and restoring the
constitution.
Click here for video.
Source: C-Span
Conservatives' Approach to Poverty in the U.S.
Center for Neighborhood Enterprise Founder and President Robert
Woodson discusses conservatives' approach to reducing poverty in the
U.S., including recent efforts by House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) to
prioritize the issue.
Click here for video.
Source: C-Span
Tavis Smiley on The Covenant with Black America
Author Tavis Smiley discusses his book, The Covenant with Black America: Ten Years Later,
about the national plan of action he and other leaders developed in
2006 to address key challenges facing the African American community.
Click here for video.
Source: C-Span
Gang Prevention Programs: GRAAFICS
The Gang
Diversion, Reentry And Absent Fathers Intervention Centers (GRAAFICS)
was created to act as a 'Port-Of-Exit' for those young men and women
that are genuinely interested in discontinuing negative and/or criminal
behavior. GRAAFICS assist active gang members, inactive gang members,
the incarcerated, the formerly incarcerated and absent fathers with
successfully reforming the attitudes and behaviors that directly
contribute to unhealthy decision making.
Each
workshop is facilitated by a master instructor personally trained by
Dr. Smith himself. Each lesson plan is derived from an evidence based
behavior modification curriculum. GRAAFICS also provides professional
internships that eventually lead to employment.
Click here for more information.
Source: graafics.org
A Deal Is A Deal: NYS Senate Democrat Defends Donald Trump
What You Should Know
By Senator Rev Rubén Díaz
32nd Senatorial District
By Senator Rev Rubén Díaz
32nd Senatorial District
You should know that in this, my
first What You Should Know column of 2016, I would like to talk to you
about a donation and a deal made by Donald Trump with the State of New
York.
It is important for you to know
that back in 2006, Mr. Donald Trump donated a 435-acre park that is located
in Westchester County, to the State of New York. This donation was made
with the knowledge and agreement that the park would bear Donald Trump's
name.
It was a free gift from Donald Trump
to the State of New York, which the State of New York accepted with the
conditions already stated.
You should also know that there
is a group of elected officials here in New York State who now are calling
for Donald Trump’s name to be removed from the State Park that he donated,
simply because they don’t like Donald Trump.
One of those elected officials is
my colleague, Senator Daniel Squadron, who says that he will submit legislation
to remove Donald Trump’s name from that State Park. Senator Squadron
decreed: “Mr. Trump has shown that he is unworthy of having a New York
State Park named in his honor.”
Ha ha ha!!
Another elected official asking
for Donald Trump's name to be removed is Canadian-born Congressman Sean
Patrick Maloney, who lost his bid in 2006 for New York Attorney General.
He has started an online petition in favor of renaming the park.
It is important for you to also
know that when Donald Trump gave the parkland to the State of New York,
the terms and conditions of his donation was that the park would always
carry Donald Trump’s name, and the State accepted these terms.
All politics aside,
to me it seems highly immoral
to take a gift of 435 acres of land - that costs a fortune - and then want
to keep it without abiding by what was agreed originally upon by both the
person who gave it and the recipient.
Even though I never attended law
school, I believe that the terms of the contract between Donald Trump and
the State of New York cannot be overlooked by any of New York’s elected
officials.
My dear reader, I would like to
suggest that if my colleagues Senator Daniel Squadron, Congressman Sean
Patrick Maloney and all those who don't want to see Donald Trump's name
on that park, they should start an effort to give back the parkland, and
just return those 435 acres to Donald Trump.
I don't think it is moral to accept
land from Donald Trump - or from anyone - with an agreed upon deal for
the donor's name to remain on the 435 acres of parkland that he gave, and
then to reject and erase the name of the person who gave it.
Ladies and gentlemen: A deal is
a deal, and deals should be read carefully, knowing the consequences -
good or bad - because once you sign onto one, it's a deal.
I am Senator Reverend Rubén Díaz,
and this is what you should know.
Cuomo: If Ted Cruz Had Any Class, He Would Apologize to the People of New York
This morning, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
called into NY1 to discuss Senator Ted Cruz’ comments about New York
values during last night’s Republican Debate.
Audio of the interview is
available here.
Source: Press Office, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
First Read's Morning Clips: 'Drop Dead, Ted'
About Last Night: "Drop Dead, Ted"
If you missed all the action from the GOP debate last night, catch up with the recap from our live blog.
The New York Daily News goes
there on Ted Cruz, complete with a Statue of Liberty flipping the bird.
"Drop Dead, Ted. Hey, Cruz: You don't like N.Y. values? Go back to
Canada."
Benjy Sarlin's three takeaways: The Trump-Cruz pact is over; everyone's Donald Trump
Perry Bacon Jr. notes that rivals are still going easy on Trump. But is that a blunder?
Click here for the full article.
Source: NBC News
'The G-Man' to Ted Cruz: Kiss... My... Black... Ass!
You know what? Put on some Chap Stick, first. Nobody kisses my ass with chapped lips.
I'm a New Yorker, a Harlem resident, and proud of it!
Your comments were extremely disrespectful and offensive to those who died and are dying as a result of the time they spent at Ground Zero in the wake of the September 11 attacks. You need to man up and apologize to the families of all who perished and continue to mourn.
In the aftermath of the greatest terrorist attack in U.S. history, New York is still standing and, despite varying political positions, its people are still united. THAT is what New York values are all about.
The G-Man
Severe Drought Threatens Food Security in South Africa
South Africa’s national weather service has announced that the
country is experiencing the lowest rainfall and driest summer in more
than 110 years.Adding that the country suffered its driest year on
record in 2015, threatening food security.
According to the weather service, average rainfall was 403 mm, about
a third less than the 608 mm annual average and the driest since
records began in 1904.
The agricultural sector is being hammered by weeks of heat waves
that have scorched grazing land, forcing livestock owners to kill or
sell animals.
Click here for the full article.
Source: Africanews.
Zambia Asks South Africa for Emergency Power
Zambia has asked South Africa for up to 300 megawatts (MW) of
emergency power to ease an electricity crunch that has hit mining
companies already grappling with a slide in global copper prices.
According to the Zambian High Commissioner to Pretoria, Emmanuel
Mwamba, Energy minister Dora Siliya made the request in a meeting with
South African President Jacob Zuma and his energy minister.
It is unclear at this stage what South Africa’s response to the request was.
Click here for the full article.
Source: Africanews.
New Ebola Death Confirmed in Sierra Leone
Health officials in Sierra Leone have confirmed a death from Ebola hours
after the World Health Organization declared West Africa clear of the
outbreak.
According to the government spokesman, Abdulai Bayraytay, the death was recorded in the town of Magburaka in Tonkolili District north of Sierra Leone.
Click here for summary.
Source: Africanews.
Burkina Issues Arrest Warrant for Speaker of Ivory Coast Parliament – Sources
Guillaume Soro
Reuters, 15/01 16:37 CET
OUAGADOUGOU (Reuters) – Burkina Faso has
issued an international arrest warrant for Guillaume Soro, the speaker
of parliament in Ivory Coast, on charges related to a failed coup last
year, military sources said on Friday.
The warrant risks raising tension between the West African neighbors.
Soro and the rebellion he led played a crucial roll in
Ivory Coast’s 2011 civil war, backing President Alassane Ouattara’s
claim to leadership after his predecessor Laurent Gbagbo refused to recognize his election defeat.
Click here for summary.
Source: Euronews
U.S. Military Discloses Civilian Casualties in Islamic State Fight
Reuters, 15/01 16:27 CET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. military
said on Friday eight civilians likely were killed and three wounded in
air strikes against Islamic State targets in Iraq and Syria between
April 12 and July 4 last year.
It was only the third time since the start of the
U.S.-led air campaign against Islamic State in 2014 that the
U.S.
military’s Central Commander has disclosed civilian casualties following
its internal investigations.
It has previously reported a total of six civilian deaths in its air campaign.
U.S. military data shows there have been 9,627 U.S.-led
coalition air strikes as of Jan. 13, with 6,393 in Iraq and 3,234 in
Syria.
Click here for the full article.
Source: Euronews
Al-Shabaab Militants Claim to Have Killed 61 Kenyan Soldiers in Somalia
Al-Shabaab militants claim to have killed 61 Kenyan soldiers in an assault on an African Union military base in south-west Somalia.
The Islamist insurgents also say they have captured the town of El-Adde, near Somalia’s border with Kenya.
Reports suggest the al-Qaeda-aligned group is battling government forces for control of the base.
Click here for summary.
Source: Euronews
Oil Price Dips Below $30 Mark with Iran Poised to Crank Up Exports
Oil has dipped below the 30 dollar a barrel price. That represented a
drop of 4.5 percent which means it has tumbled a massive 70 percent in
the past eighteen months.
Friday’s fall comes amid growing concern for the market as Iran is set to turn its oil taps back on.
And Tehran has plenty of it. It’s reported 22 large crude carriers
are floating off the coast 13 of which are fully or almost fully loaded.
Iran’s share in OPEC’s oil reserves is 13.1 percent making it the country with the world’s fourth-biggest proven oil reserves.
Click here for summary/video.
Source: Euronews
Don’t Blame Us for Refugee Policy Failure, Says EU’s Juncker
Jean Claude Juncker
EU governments have failed to deliver on the promises they made to
tackle Europe’s refugee crisis, the head of the European Commission said
on Friday.
Speaking at a news conference in Brussels, Jean Claude Juncker said
the body he leads should not be blamed for the apparent failure of a
flagship relocation policy.
“It’s not the Commission that has not delivered,” he said. “But a
number of member states have failed to fully deliver on what we need to
do and what needs to be done.”
Click here for the full article.
Source: Euronews
Thursday, January 14, 2016
Governor Cuomo Outlines 2016 Agenda
On January 13, 2016, Governor Cuomo delivered his 2016 State of
the State and Executive Budget Address at the Empire State Plaza
Convention Center in Albany. The theme of the Governor’s agenda for the
year is “Built to Lead,” in recognition of New York’s heritage as a
standard bearer throughout US history, the significant progress achieved
in the state over the past five years, and New York’s inherent capacity
to lead the nation in addressing some of today’s most pressing
challenges.
FPWA Responds to Governor Cuomo's Agenda to Combat Poverty
(New York, NY) – Jennifer Jones Austin, CEO Executive Director at
Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA), released the following statement in response to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s State of the State and Budget Address:
"Governor
Cuomo has laid out an ambitious, yet achievable agenda to combat
poverty and reduce economic inequity. We stand with him in the fight to
raise the
statewide minimum wage to $15 per hour, and we remain hopeful that the
increase will be funded for the more than 100,000 government contracted
human services workers employed by nonprofits. We are especially pleased
with the Governor's monumental plan to increase
emergency shelter, affordable housing and permanent supportive housing
for vulnerable New Yorkers."
The
Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA) is an anti-poverty,
policy, and advocacy nonprofit with a membership network of nearly 200
human-service and faith-based
organizations. FPWA has been a prominent force in New York City's
social services system for more than 92 years, advocating for fair
public policies, collaborating with partner agencies, and growing its
community-based membership network to meet the needs
of New Yorkers. Each year, through its network of member agencies, FPWA
reaches close to 1.5 million New Yorkers of all ages, ethnicities, and
denominations. FPWA strives to build a city of equal opportunity that
reduces poverty, promotes upward mobility,
and creates shared prosperity for all New Yorkers.
Source: The
Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA)
North Korea: Averting Nuclear War
THE G-MAN INTERVIEWS: DR. CHARLES ARMSTRONG
Expert on the Region Urges President Obama to Avoid a
Military Conflict and Find a Solution Before He Leaves Office
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Welcome.
Here to provide more detail on North Korea’s latest act of defiance is Dr. Charles Armstrong, the Korea Foundation Professor of Korean Studies in the Social Sciences Department of History at Columbia University.
Dr. Armstrong teaches courses on Korean history, U.S./East Asian relations, the Vietnam War, and global history.
He is a frequent commentator in the U.S. and foreign mass media on contemporary Korean, East Asian, and Asian-American affairs.
The interview was conducted on January 12, 2016.
The following links offer more information on Dr. Armstrong and his new book, Tyranny of the Weak: North Korea and the World, 1950 - 1992.
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/weai/faculty/armstrong.html
http://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/?GCOI=80140100484410
Video discussion of Dr. Armstrong's book:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzNSI7xObhA
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Oval Office Chat: President Vladimir Putin of Russia
President Obama
spoke today by phone with President Vladimir Putin of Russia. President
Obama emphasized the importance of working towards a diplomatic
solution to the crisis in Ukraine through full implementation of the
Minsk agreements by all parties. The President underscored that the key
next step is for the sides to reach agreement on the modalities of
local elections in the Donbas region of Ukraine,
which must meet Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
standards. The leaders discussed the urgent need to implement United
Nations Security Council Resolution 2254 on Syria. Further, they noted
the necessity of taking steps to foster productive
discussions between representatives of the Syrian opposition and regime
under United Nations auspices, principally by reducing violence and
addressing the urgent humanitarian needs of the Syrian people,
especially those living in besieged and hard to reach
communities. Finally, they discussed the importance of a strong and
united international response to North Korea’s nuclear test in defiance of Security Council resolutions.
Source: The White House, Office of the Press Secretary
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